As you know I am an avid reader, as I suspect are the majority of people who take the time to read this blog (with of course the exception of Mr F – no Scooby Doo is not a crime book, and the Father – a small paperback should not take four years to read) So we all agree that encouraging people to read is a great thing.

Well I’ve had a fantastic idea as to how to get people reading. Provide books in places where people spend hours waiting around with nothing to do. A and E departments for example. I have been lucky enough to have spent the previous 37 years never having been near a hospital apart from birth and work related trips. Well this year I certainly seem to be making up for it. In the past couple of months I’ve had the misfortune to have to visit A and E twice (neither time for myself I hasten to add) Two different departments, neither of which I could fault. However one of the things they both have in common is the waiting around. I have spent literally hours sat on very uncomfortable chairs, surrounded by ill people with nothing to do.

I, of course, in true brownie guide style am always prepared and one of my most favourite things about an android phone is the kindle app. Therefore I can spend a few hours sat around with nothing happening and happily entertain myself with a good book. Yet what about those less prepared than myself?

Hairdressers are another good example. As anyone who ever gets their hair coloured will know there is alot of sitting around. On the whole if your hairdresser is anything like mine the magazines on offer will be ten years out of date and mainly concerned with either weddings, or diets. If neither of those things floats your boat, without a kindle app its a pretty long hour.

There must be loads of other places like this, airport lounges, doctors surgeries, waiting to be served at Morrisons cheese counter. I think there is a whole market out there for short story writers. There could be a specific compendium of short stories for specific places, the 4 hour short story for a&e, the hour long stories for the hair dressers, the never ending short story for the cheese counter.

Of course my great idea might not be altogether practical judging by the state of some of those in a&e on a Friday night, but for the rest of us it would be a great way to get reading, although fingers crossed I won’t be needing the a&e short stories again anytime soon.

2 responses to “The Accident”

This sounds a great idea for hospital visits and so on. My hairdresser’s is a noisy raucous place, no way can you get any reading done while sitting there in foils, I keep re-reading the same line over and over again 😉